Haitian citizens erected tire barricades to block the capital’s main streets on Tuesday in a new day of protests against the announced increase in fuel prices, Sputnik agency saw for itself during a tour of the city.
On the Champs de Mars, the country’s leading public square and very close to the National Palace, citizens erected barricades of burning tires and in Canapé Vert, Tabarre, Delmas, Kenscoff, and the airport area.
Protests intensified Monday after Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced an imminent increase in hydrocarbon prices to ensure availability at gas stations after a prolonged crisis of shortages.
Speaking on social media, the head of government said that fuel subsidies could not be continued if social programs for the most vulnerable were to be implemented and asked citizens not to be influenced by politicians.
But the announcement triggered the mobilizations that have rocked the country’s main cities in both the north and south for weeks to protest inflation, hunger, and insecurity.
Local media reported other protest movements in Les Cayes (south), Petit Goave (west), and Cap-Haïtien (north), while banks, stores, and other establishments remained closed Tuesday.
Authorities have not yet announced the timing of the increase or the new amount. It would be the second increase a year after the government raised hydrocarbon prices by up to 115% in December.